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Textiles in Archives - An Introduction Throughout human history, the use of textiles has evolved from a rude stitching together of mammoth skins with ivory needles, to the mass production of highly structured garments that use textile materials of wide variety and staggering design. The evolution of textiles, and their accompanying use as adornment for the human figure, often serve as documents of the lives of people and their cultures. The strands, loops, and twists that textile materials are comprised of are often directly representative of the cultures that manufacture them. Preserving examples in an archival setting, and within cultural context, helps provide insight into the ever-unfolding stories of humanity. This simple timeline http://www.slideshare.net/shiveyb/textile-design provides a general overview of the evolution of textile work. A much more detailed timeline, spanning the years from 9000 BC to 1978 AD, can be found here http://threadsintyme.tripod.com/timelineoffabrichistory.htm In many civilizations, some type of record keeping has been accomplished with the aid of patterns woven into fabrics, knots tied in rope or yarn, or markings made on animal skins. These types of records often predate the advent of script based languages and widespread literacy in the civilizations that utilize them. In this context, textiles provide records of human interactions in much the same way that written documents do, which directly illustrates that the importance of maintaining textile records extends far beyond their use as personal adornment or decor. Textiles as Historic Documents Examining textile items can often give insight into the history of its creators. Symbolically, the consistent use of distinct patterns and materials can denote particular meaning in particular cultures or time periods. In addition to the symbolic and contextual documentary information that textile items can provide, some textile works become more recognizable as documents through the incorporation of the symbols, such as alphabets and syllabaries, that are used to express language. A third type of textile document is one which is explicitly used for keeping records. The Inca khipu, or quipu, exemplifies this type of textile, as each quipu is comprised of a series of strings, cords, and knots. The interrelationships of the arrangement each document's composite parts served as administrative records in a time and place that didn't have written language. In addition, these documents were stored in central and culturally significant locations, primarily the tombs of the dead, to aid preservation and control access. Conservation of Textiles in Archives Conservation of delicate textiles involves protection and restoration using effective methods to keep the artifact in as close to its original condition as possible for as long as possible.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_(cultural_heritage) However, the conservation of cultural heritage objects —as represented by textiles in an archival setting— requires the balancing of best conservation practices against the need to make the archival material available to the public. In addition, certain donations are made with conditions that limit public access to section addressing legal issues associated with donations. Any archive must balance these competing concerns, but textile archives may experience greater difficulty due to the tactile nature of many textile objects. Providing an Online Catalog or Exhibit may address many of the conservation and presentation issues, while also providing a public interface that enables discourse about other issues associated with textile archives. Current Issues Maintaining a textile archive presents unique issues. Of primary consideration is the sheer scope of the topic. As with other commonly practiced arts, textile crafting reflects over 28,000 years of human history in every culture. It is also worthwhile to note that in spite of the direct link between textile manufacture and early fiber and hide based written records, there is sometimes opposition to the idea of a textile archive as equivalent to a repository of paper based or born digital documents.Koelsch, B. A., McCarty Smith, K., & Motszko, J. (2013). Collecting Textiles: Is It Worth It?. Journal For The Society Of North Carolina Archivists, 10(2), 2-17. Building an archive based on textiles involves many of the same steps that would be taken to build a text based archive. A mission statement specifying the purpose and parameters of the collection must first be formulated, then appropriate additions must be identified and acquired, and collection care and management must then be provided by tracking, examining, documenting, exhibiting, storing, and preserving collection, as well as conserving and restoring individual items where necessary. Deterioration Many of these materials are antiques and need some sort of preservation before they can be put on display or put away in an archive. Many types of textiles are prey to insects regardless of age. A lot of damage to textiles occurs due to excessive heat and humidity, insects, and light. Many museums and virtually all archives have very specific rules for patrons to follow in order to avoid damage to precious textiles and fabrics. For example, museums and archives alike may forbid any photography of their textiles, because the light can damage colors and cause the materials to deteriorate. An archive may enforce rules that a user may not touch fabric without the use of gloves. Many will not allow the handling of fabrics by patrons in any way without the assistance of an employee. Preservation Preserving artifacts is of great importance, not only for museum and archives, but for those who would like to keep their antique textiles pristine. "Textiles that are displayed in both homes and public buildings are subject to deterioration by many environmental factors such as light, temperature and relative humidity, dust and dirt, insects, and improper storage or display. Thus the critical factors in maintaining your textile collection are control of environmental conditions, proper display techniques, and proper storage." http://museum.gwu.edu/care-textiles The Smithsonian http://www.si.edu/encyclopedia_si/nmah/antqtext.htm suggests keeping artifacts in a cool, dry place where they will not come into contact with any insects, and where they can be kept free of dust. Because the term "textiles" in itself is so broad, there are many different ways to take care of them. Many fabrics can be vacuumed before storage, making sure to pad any points to keep the edges from weakening. However to remove excess dirt and dust from an embroidered sampler or painted fabric, a vacuum should never be used. This can damage the thread and any beading. Use of Textile Archives Cultural Heritage For generations, textiles have played an important part in helping to preserve history. For example, embroidered samplers, such as the one sewn by Sarah A. Silkin of Maine in 1835, not only show incredible skill and artistic detail, but also provide basic some basic genealogical information: the birth and death dates of her siblings. Girls and women would have created samplers such as these to practice their sewing skills, but through the preservation of these textiles, archivists have been able to use them as research tools, gaining insight into what life would have been like during this time period. These types of samplers are reminiscent of a family bible, recording births, deaths, and marriages. Another sampler, sewn by Adelaide Ann Williams, commemorates the 35th anniversary of American independence. These samplers are both housed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1214450 Industry Textile industries can include everything from high fashion and interior design to sheep farming and silk harvesting. For many of these industries, items such as fiber samples, fabric swatches, and completed projects are produced through the daily activities of business operations. Preserving these records alongside of administrative documents can provide companies with material evidence of past work, as well as references for copyright issues and reproductions. Some Textile Archives http://guides.lib.ku.edu/c.php?g=95156&p=616323 Online Catalogs http://opac.libraryworld.com/opac/home.php References Urton, G. (2011). Tying the Archive in Knots, or: Dying to Get into the Archive in Ancient Peru. Journal Of The Society Of Archivists, 32(1), 5-20.Tying the Archive in Knots, or: Dying to get into the Archive in Ancient Peru Collecting Textiles: Is It Worth It? Skelton, C. (2012). A Look at Early Mycenaean Textile Administration in the Pylos Megaron Tablets. Kadmos, 50(1), 101-121. doi:10.1515/kadmos.2011.006A Look at Early Mycenaean Textile Administration in the Pylos Megaron Tablets van der Merwe, R. (2014). Embroidered stories, remembered lives: the Mogalakwena Craft Art Development Foundation storybook project. Critical Arts: A South-North Journal Of Cultural & Media Studies, 28(5), 791-808. doi:10.1080/02560046.2014.970812Embroidered stories, remembered lives:the Mogalakwena Craft Art Development Foundation storybook project Halls, J. (2013). Questions of Attribution: Registered Designs at The National Archives. Journal Of Design History, 26(4), 416.Questions of Attribution: Registered Designs at The National Archives (2015) Adaline Ann Williams's Sampler. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2015, from http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1214450American Samplers (2015) Encyclopedia Smithsonian: How do I store antique textiles at home? (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2015, from http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmah/antqtext.htmEncyclopedia Smithsonian: How do I store antique textiles at home? http://threadsintyme.tripod.com/timelineoffabrichistory.htm http://www.uen.org/cte/family/clothing-2/downloads/textiles/timeline.pdf http://museum.gwu.edu/conservation-and-collections-resource-center http://museum.gwu.edu/learning-resources http://museum.gwu.edu/library http://museum.gwu.edu/learn-about-textiles http://museum.gwu.edu/care-textiles http://museum.gwu.edu/display-textiles